I Promise
by allyann
Summary: The crew goes on a mission to find Amon's hideaway in the City but Korra and Iroh find themselves in a treacherous state, separate from the group and surrounded in danger
1. Chapter 1

I Promise Part I

Korra laced up her boots, standing and straightening her tunic. She glanced at herself in the mirror, stunned at her own appearance. Iroh was right, she had changed. She looked, bigger, stronger, more lethal.

"Are you ready?" Iroh appeared behind her, leaning in the doorway, a smirk on his face. His uniform had been replaced by a stealthy outfit of black cloth, shrouding him in shadows. He looked deadly, cunning and gorgeous. His body looked strong and fit, outlined by the clothing, painted in the soft glow of the lanterns, illuminated by dancing light.

"We look like quite a deadly pair," Korra stated, stepping closer to Iroh, trailing her fingers down his chest.

"Yes. Yes we do," he smiled crookedly and pressed her body into his, placing his hands on the small of her back. He pressed his lips to hers relishing the warmth of her touch, allowing her hot breath to flood his cheeks.

The two pulled out of the embrace, at the sound of the footsteps, echoing through the corridor. Iroh turned just in time to see Mako, Asami, and Bolin round the corner and crossing the threshold.

"Oh," Mako muttered, eyes narrowing as he glimpsed Korra past Iroh's shoulder. "Hope we weren't interrupting anything," he glowered turning his glare on Iroh.

"It's alright, you weren't," Korra sniffed, returning Mako's stare.

"Th crew is all ready. Your Officers asked us to notify you," Asami interjected, stepping in front of Mako.

"Good. We should get a move on. It will be daylight in a few hours," Iroh moved through the doorway and sauntered down the hall. Korra followed, ignoring Mako's hard glare as she pushed past him. His eyes burned into her back as he sulked behind the group.

He couldn't take seeing Korra so close the this man, this General Iroh. Once upon a time she was _his _Korra, and he was the one she talked to ,the one she wanted to be with. But now..it seemed like all she wanted was Iroh. And Mako didn't know if his heart could want anything else but Korra….

When the team stepped on the banks of the City, the moon still shone like a beacon, a skimming across the water and illuminating the shadows on the streets. Once they assembled on the shore, they moved swiftly into the alleyways, covered by Iroh's Officers. The crew slunk through the dark city streets soundlessly, poised for attack, unwilling to be surprised by the Equalists.

Korra went over and over the plan in her head, hoping that the strategies that had dealt with for the past few days would unfold as expected. The covert mission itself was simple: they had a known position for Amon and a large nobler of his Equalist soldiers. They would assault the facility, hopefully capturing Amon. Dead or alive.

But still something nagged at Korra in the back of her mind. Something about the scenario, the plan itself, made her feel uneasy. She crept along behind Iroh until she noticed that the footsteps making hollow clacking sounds in front of her had seized.

They had reached the Equalist hideaway. Korra leaned against the wall, waiting to move the party inside, feeling her heart thunder inside her chest, her breathing quicken to a pant and then an electrifying blue light lit up the alleyway.

Bolin's scream echoed off the buildings in the alley, raising goosebumps on Korra's skin. She whirled around just in time to see Asami and one of Iroh's Officers pinned against the wall, tased by an Equalist.

"Ambush!" Cried Iroh, spinning out into the center of the alley, illuminating the walls with a crimson glow as he blasted two Equalists sailing from the roof top. Korra spun to launch a boulder toward the onslaught of Equalist soldiers.

An explosion shook the ground, flinging Korra against the wall, reverberating against the desolated buildings in the street. Korra tried to drag herself up but when she did, she found her limbs were heavy and blakc smoke, mixed with the black night, was screening the alley.

Two hands reached through the shroud and lurched her to her feet. Their grip was strong, and Korra felt the electricity consume her body as the taser ignited against her skin.

"Uhhh," she moaned as she felt her eyes press closed. Her mind began to fade as she struggled to fight, to move, to do anything to free herself.

"I have the Avatar, let's go!" shouted her captor, lunging inside a caravan and slinging Korra to the ground.

Iroh felt his heart sink as he saw Korra pulled into the back of the van.

He heard Mako scream her name, his voice full of pain and worry. "Korra!"

He wanted to scream, yell for help, call to Korra but he wasn't sure if any sound emanated from his mouth. Fear swam in his veins, ripping at his insides and for the first time in his life, General Iroh didn't think or plan. He moved on pure impulse and ran hurtling himself into the van. The minute he found himself in the van he felt the singe of electricity, felt his body go limp.

But it didn't matter. He was vulnerable but at least he was with Korra. And for right now that was all that mattered.

The caravan rumbled down the city streets, leaving the chaos of the ambush behind.

"Where does Amon want them?" questioned one of the Equalists.

"At the main camp. He said we can house them there until he can meet us," replied another.

The van rolled into a large, factory facility in the warehouse district. As the van pulled inside, Korra began to wake, eyes flickering open. Despite her vision blurring, she could make out Iroh positioned across from her on the floor of the van. She could also see the many soldiers surrounding them, attending to the captives as the van rolled to a stop.

"Leave them here," barked one of the Equalists.

There was muttering in assent and then the van jerked to a halt.

Korra caught Iroh's eye as the back of the van swung open, iridescent light flooding the area. His lips formed the words _stay still _and shut his eyes. Korra followed suit, feigning unconscious and waited as the Equalists set them up against cold concrete walls, pinning their hands behind their backs.

A few quick knocks placed strategically on Korra's body and she went limp. The chi-blockers had provided a little extra security by prolong their incapacitation.

Iroh felt Korra's body, warm and limp, laying against his own, hot breath tickling his chest. He felt the hot fluid drip from his shoulder and he winced. Blood wafted, thick and sweet into his nose.

Near his ear, Korra groaned and shifted her head closer to his. Through his closed lids Iroh sees the lights fade and he hears the van grumble away farther into the factory.

The cold, hard floor beneath Iroh proves to be exceedingly uncomfortable and he shifts causing Korra to fall even closer to him.

"Iroh," she whispers in his ear, looking up dazedly into his eyes. Her bright eyes shone with fear, oriented by pain and helplessness.

"They…they're taking us to Amon," she shuddered, raising goosebumps on her own arms. She gazed up at Iroh, finding comfort in his strong, cool eyes.

"No," he whispered, careful not to alert their captors to their wakefulness. He wanted to take Korra in his arms, to make her feel safe, but his restraints wouldn't allow it. Instead he pressed his lips to her forehead, feeling her cool temples pressed between his lips. Her touch comforted him, made him more resigned than ever to break free of the Equalists' clutches. He had to make it out, not for himself, but for Korra. He could not, no, would not, let her fall into harm's way. He could not live with himself if he didn't do all he could to protect her.

"They won't get the chance. I don't know exactly what we will do, but I will get us out of here Korra."

He gazed down at her face, but was met with residual worry and uncertainty in her eyes.

"I promise." he whispered against her forehead. He looked back down to see a small smile creep across her lips and this time her eyes shone with confidence in him and hope, mixed with something else, deeper and perhaps more powerful. But also more frightening.

She arched her neck and turned her face upward, reaching up to kiss him, warmed and comforted by the exhilarating touch of his lips, the heat of his skin.

Korra know she should be afraid, scared, and worried. But all she felt now was safety, comfort, and love, buried in the warmth of Iroh's skin, entranced by the touch of his skin on hers.

And for some reason she knew everything would be alright


	2. Chapter 2

I Promise Part II

Korra rustled herself awake, turning her head to face the musty, dank store room. Despite the light seeping through the doorway at the other end of the room, the darkness still encapsulated the room, reminding Korra of the gut of some great beast.

_In the heart of a monster _she thought, realizing how true this comparison was. She was restrained, crumpled on a cold metal floor, waiting for Amon to confront her, to do the unspeakable.

_To take away my bending _she thought, moaning inwardly and feeling tears pool in her eyes. _No_, she scolded herself. She could not fail, she had to break free. She was the Avatar, a beacon of hope to the nations. She couldn't allow her courage to buckle at a time when she so desperately needed strength.

She took a long, hard breath, willing her eyes to dry and readjusting her head.

And then she remembered who she was here with, who had jumped in the Equalist van to save her, who had comforted her as she lay vulnerable and broken in the same spot she was now.

She looked up at Iroh, leaning her head against his chest and studying his sleeping face. His strong chiseled features did not lose their fierce passion in sleep, yet he seemed more at peace, calmer and perhaps even vulnerable. Except he wasn't. Iroh, strong, courageous Iroh was never vulnerable. He was a true statute of strength, of dignity. To Korra he was her motivation and also her comfort, her feeling of safety. But he was something more to, something that scared Korra to even ponder, but in the depths of her heart she could feel it growing.

Iroh's strong muscled chest rose and fell evenly, like a flickering flame warming the desolate cellar. He shifted once and then his eyes flicked open, quickly moving out of the realms of sleep and back into reality. His eyes turned on Korra and he smiled down at her, pressing his lips to hers softly, almost caressing them.

He pulled back to whipper against her lips, "Morning."

"Good morning to you too," Korra smiled, feeling the soft rumble of Iroh's words in his chest.

_If only this had been a normal morning, _Korra thought. _If only we were safe and sound and I was free to enjoy waking up in his arms. But we're not. We're in terrible danger._

As if coming to the same realization, Iroh smiled weakly, turning to Korra and whispering, "Don't worry. We will get out of here. How long have you been awake?"

"Not long. Maybe five minutes, maybe."

"O.," Iroh scanned the room, eyes flitting around their dungeon, scoping strategically for any hope of escape, anyway to break free of their captors. His intense gaze narrowed, his mind whirled, desperately searching until he found something.

It was a stretch, but it might work, with the proper timing and accurate positioning.

"Korra do you see the beams running across the ceilings?" Iroh tilted his chin up, gesturing to the ceiling of the factory house.

"Yeah. Wait, you mean the wooden ones?" Korra asked, squinting into the dim light.

"Exactly. If we can create a distraction by setting them on fire, they will come to move us. In the commotion we might be able to catch them off guard and break free. From there we'll be on foot to escape, but it's better than sitting here, waiting for the Equalists to take us to Amon. This way we'll be making the first move and we can crewte some sort of coordination…" he trailed off, awaiting Korra's response.

She pondered it, turning the idea around in her head like a puzzle, playing out the plausible consequences of the decision.

"Alright," she stated, resigning herself to the fact that it was the only plan they had. Korra turned to Iroh once more, asking, "Our hands are tied, how are we supposed to bend?"

Iroh's eyes lit up with a twinkling of mischief. He leaned close to Korra, brushing his lips against her ear and whispering, "You want to see a trick my Great-Grandfather Iroh taught? Are you ready Korra?"

Korra's eyes widened in wonder, but she nodded.

Iroh sucked in a huge amount of air and then exhaled in a burst of flames funneled from his throat, showering the whole room in sparks and alighting the beams above.

Within moments the ceiling was ablaze and the sound of footsteps rattled across the floor from behind the door. Five Equalist soldiers burst into the room, spinning into one another as they craned to see what was going on above them.

Korra squeezed her eyes shut, willing her body to lie limp against Iroh's. There was yelling and considerable movement before Korra heard one of the soldiers call "Get the prisoners out of here!"

The smell of smoke was penetratingly acidic as Iroh lay, focusing on breathing and refusing to cough. The fumes wormed their way into his nose, causing his throat to clench, threatening to reject the stench with a bout of retching. He heard the soldiers steps move closer, felt Korra's body shift and ten move off of his own, lifted apparently, by an Equalist.

His heart hammered against his ribcage as two sets of arms wound their way around his torso, lifting him off the floor.

Iroh's eyes snapped open, just in time to catch Korra's glimmering in the flames.

He swung his legs up, twisting around and shooting flames from his feet, then rolling quickly to regain his balance, only to kick out once more, planting his foot into an oncoming chi-blocker. He spun around, searching for Korra, desperate to find her.

Mingling with the smoke tendrils and the dark background, he could just make out the flashes of flames as she flung herself away from her captors, running to join him as they fled.

They ran for the door, using the smoke as cover. Iroh was nearing the door when he heard the creak, a monstrous groaning sound.

He whirled around once more to see the blazing beam above Korra's head splitting. His eyes widened in terror and before he could think, he lunged, knocking into her with his shoulder and flinging her to the ground. He fell beside her, shoulder jarred by the brutal impact just as the beam shattered against the floor, only few feet from their bodies. Sparks took to the air and Iroh felt himself being pulled to his feet by Korra's steady hands.

Somehow Korra had managed to break her restraints and she now pulled Iroh along be hid her, trudging toward the door. Smoke imploded her lungs and she felt her mouth growing dry, her temples aching with nausea. When she reached the door she didn't pause to see if it was locked, she hammered it with her heel, sending the door flying open.

The pair dashed through the threshold, through a small garage and out another door.

The cool night air blasted into their faces, the salty sea air affronting their noses, but they both knew better than to stop and relish the freedom. Hearts punning and adrenaline racing Iroh and Korra sprinted through the city, snaking around corners and through alleyways.

Iroh had no clue as to his whereabouts, he simply followed the sound of the waves, searching for the water, the bay, searching for the safety he had promised Korra.

They ran on into the night. Like two liberated birds they soared through the city, veiled in blackness and relying on one another to bring them strength. Everytime Korra felt like stopping, like taking a break, she felt the pull of Iroh's hand against hers, saw the sweat on his brow and knew she had to continue on. Every now and again she would indulge herself, squeezing Iroh's warm, strong hand gently and he would squeeze hers back, glancing behind him to reassure himself that she was alright and they weren't being pursued.

When Iroh felt the need to stop he would look back at Korra, so trusting, so brave, and strong and he knew he could push on.

And so the two continued this way far into the night, even when they knew they had probably left the Equalists far behind.

As the sun climbed lazily over the horizon, the two clambered into the bay where the Ursa, Iroh's warship was docked. The relief washed over them like a wave, sending joy through their hearts and tears to their eyes. They slowed to a walk as they approached the ship.

Korra stopped, spinning Iroh around to face her, She looked up at him, into his eyes and saw him so clearly it scared her. Past his bedraggled appearance, his mussed hair, and sweat, and sleepless face she saw hope and passion in his eyes. She saw the care he had for her, but it was more than just care, it was something deeper, more meaningful and endlessly powerful.

As Iroh gazed into Korra's glistening eyes he saw the same thing, this beautiful, passionate caring, her insurmountable trust in him.

"Iroh.." Korra began but she was cut off as he pressed his lips to hers, hot breath bleeding against her skin, and thundering heart making hers pump faster. She pressed her body against his, wanting to be closer to him, closer than she had ever want to be to anyone. One of his hands cupped her head, brushing stray locks of hair from her face and holding the kiss, the other cradling her, place in the small of her back, supporting her. Korra threw one arm around his neck, pining her to him, while the other lay plastered against his chest, picking up the racing of his hear beneath his soaking tunic.

"Korra…I…" his words were choked and for the first time in his life Iroh was lost for eyes, his body, his actions had conveyed it all, but he still felt the need to tell her exactly how he felt.

"Korra.."

"Korra! General Iroh!" Bolin screeched, dashing across the piers to reach them, followed by Asami, Mako and several of Iroh's Officers.

"Man thank the spirits you guys are alright! We just got back. We've been searching for you all night," Bolin panted when he finally reached the two.

"We were just about to go out searching again," Asami added.

"Yeah once we broke free of the Equalist, we headed straight here," Korra stated, clutching Iroh's hand firmly in her own.

"So they did capture you," Mako asked, eyes searching Iroh and Korra, narrowing at the sight of their clasped hands. "Can't believe you got away," he sniffed, averting his eyes from the two and spinning to head back to the ship, shoulders hunched in a visible pout, eyes fuming.

"Yes well we had too. You see…I made a promise," Iroh said, giving Korra's hand a tight squeeze.


End file.
